Counter-stiffener.



G. L. PREBLE.

COUNTER STIPFBNBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY29, 1911.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

' and' size and their edges are CoeXten- V of the reinforcing fabricwhich is used in "so far as to be overlapped by the welt strip.

GEORGE L. PREBLE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

COUNTER-STIFFENER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Application ined May 29, 1911. serial N0.l 630,255.

'0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE L. PREBLE, ofLynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements iin Counter-Stiffeners, of which thefollowing is a specificat1on.

The present invention relates to counter stiffeners for boots andslices, and consistsy in a number of improvements upon thecounterstiiiener illustrated and described in Letters Patent Number866,732, granted me September 24, 1907. The essential feat-ure of thecounter stiifener forming the subject matter of the aforesaid patent isa thin sheet of Celluloid molded to the required shape and interlocke-dwith the fibers or stra-nds of' a sheet of reinforcing fabric. In thatpatent the sheet of Celluloid and sheet of reinforcing fabric are of thevsame shape sive. Considerable ditliculty is experienced in 'attachingt-heforward edges of the counter stiflener to an insole by the row ofstitches vwhich attach a. welt strip. This ditliculty is due to thestiffness of the Celluloid.

One of the features of the present invention is the provision offlexible tabs formed conjunction with a sheet of Celluloid. The sheet ofCelluloid is So cut that its forward ends Will not extend into the pathofthe needle of the sewing machine by which the wel-t strip is attached,but the sheet of rcinforcing fabric is extended beyond the sheet ofCelluloid and is therefore extremely flexible and may be seated closelyin the angle of the shoulder Iof an insole. The ends of a welt stripusuallyv overlap the forward edges of a counter stiifener about oneinch, more or less, and when the counter stitfener is rovided, as in thepresent instance, with softlflexible tabs at the point of overlapping, ajoint may -be made which is less bulky Athan if the sheet of Celluloidextended Another v4featurevvof theprCSent invention is the provision ofa double blank of reinforcing"`fabric which is folded so as to providetwo thicknesses to inclose the sheet of Celluloid.

Uf 'the accompanying drawings which illustrate't-he invention: Figure 1represents aperspective view of a counter stiil'ener in position uponthe heel portion of an insole. Fig. 2 represents an'inverted plan Viewof the molded counter st-if't'ener, a portion of the reinforcing fabricbeing broken away to expose the interior structure. Fig. 3 repre sents across-sectional view of a portion of a shoe in process of construction.Fig. et represents a plan View of the several blanks of which theCounter stifiener is composed. Fig. 5 represents a counter stiilenerconsisting of a st-ifi'ening member inclosed between two layers ofreinforcing fabric before being molded. i

The same reference characters indicate thc same parts wherever theyoccur.

Referring first to Fig. Li, a blank of reinforcing material is indicatedat 10.v A blank of Celluloid is indicated at 11, and a blank of stifferand stronger material, such as wood liber or leatherboa-rd, is indicatedat- 12. The blank 10 is composed of text-ile material. Flannel and feltare found to be desirable for reinforcing material. The sheet ofCelluloid and the sheet 12 of relatively stiff material of the outlinesshown are laid upon the blank 10, which has but a single thickness, inthe condition shown by l? ig. 4. With the several members in therelation shown, the blank 1() is folded along its longitudinal cent-ralline 13 so as to inclose the members 11 and 12 between two la J ers ofreinforcing material. The blanks are then subjected to a molding processto give the article the desired shape, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. Asuitable solvent is applied to the Celluloid to render itI soft andsticky 'so that it will be ii'iterlocked with the members 10 and 12 asthe result of the molding operation. If a liquid solycnt is used'it willbe applied to the Celluloid prior to the molding operation7 but ifheatis to be used asa solvent it may be applied during the moldingoperation.

It will be observed that the ends of the celluloid 11 are cut away at anangle to the inner edge thereof, as indicated at 14, 14. The purpose incutting the celluloid to this shape is to provide soft flexible tabs 15,15, of reinforcjn material 10 at the forward extremities o? the counterstiff'ener. These its 15 serve to attach the counter stiffener ;c otherparts of a shoe :c when the upper '1nd welt thereof are sewed to theinsole. An insole is indicated at 16, an upper is indicated at 17, and awelt strip is indicated at 18. The ends of the welt strip usuallyoverlap the endsv of the counter stiflener for a distance of one inch,more or less. 'When the counter stifl'ener is assembled with the otherparts of the shoe, it is interposed bef tween the lining 19 and theupper 17, as shown by Fig. 3. The welt strip 18 is laid .upon the upperand the several thicknesses `are united with the insole by a row ofstitches, as indicated at 20. The celluloid 11 and stiffening member 12are not directly united with the insole by the stitches 20 because ofthe manner in which they are cut away. The tabs 15 are therefore adaptedto be drawn snugly into the angle of the insole formed by the shoulder21 and feather 22. The doubling of the reinforcing material 10 avoidsloose ends of threads and provides a smooth inner edge for the lip 23which engages the heel seat of the insole. The doubling of the tabs 15also facilitates the sewing operation. The soft tabs 15 may be readilytri ed after the sewing operation has been fi ished.

lVhile a more efficient counter stiffener may be produced by the use ofa sheet of celluloid 11, the celluloid may be omitted from counterstifl'eners for shoes of inferior quality, leavin the counter stiffenerhaving only the flexib e material 10 and the relatively stiftl member12, as shown b Fi 5. In this figure the material l0 is olde to providetwo thicknesses, and the member 12 is inclosed between the thicknesses.The formation of' t-he stiflening member 12 provides the soft flexibletabs 15 as previously described. This counter stifl'ener may be moldedin the usual way and may be attached to a shoe in the manner explainedjust as if it contained a sheet of celluloid. When the celluloid isused, the counter stiff.- ener is preferably molded so that thecelluloid will lie between the stifeningmember 12 and the foot so as toserve as a moistureproof barrier between the foot and the stiffeningmember.

While the counter stiffenergin the forms illustrated has been describedwith part-icularity as to the materials used and as to the 'doubling ofthe soft fabric, I do not wish to limit myself in these particulars.

The essential feature of the invention still' material between saidcelluloid and one of the layers of said flexible material, said layer ofstiff material being smaller than said layer of celluloid, said layer ofcelluloid being interlocked with said layers of flexible materialoutside the margin of said stiff material, and said flexible materialextending beyond said celluloid to provide flexible tabs adapted to besewed in with the between substance of a shoe b stitches which do notpass through the ce luloid.

2. A counter stifiener comprising a member of stiff sheet materialhaving a heel-seat flange, and a covering therefor consist' of a memberof soft flexible sheet materiel?, said covering having a crease and twoconfrontin layers connected by the creased part, said stifl materiallying between said layers and said creased part inclosing the inner edgeof said flange, said inner edge being substantially coextensive withsaid crease around the rear portion of the flange a substantial portionof the length of sai inner edge at each end of said flange being asufficient distance from said crease to enable a needle of an inseamsewing machine to sew the inseam stitches through both layers of saidsoft flexible material between;`

said crease and the inner portions.

3. A counter stiflener comprising a layer of relatively still` materialhaving a heel-seat flange, and a doubled sheetof soft flexible material,said stiff material being between the layers of said soft'flexblematerial, and the crease of said soft flexible material inclosing theinner edge of said flange and diverging from the edge of the flange toprovide soft flexible tabs between the ends of said heel-seat flange.

4. A counter stifener comprising a doubled sheet of soft flexiblematerial having an upper body portion and a heel-seat flange the crease'of said soft flexible material being at the inner edge of said flange,and a layer of relatively stiff material having an upper body portionand a heel-seat flange at the rear and sides, said layer of relativelystill` material being between the layers of said soft flexible material,s'aid edge of said end flange of relatively stiff material being shorterthan the body irtion thereof and secured to said upper and insole bysaid shorter than said flange c said soft Hexible stitches. 10 material.In testimony whereof I have aflxed my 5. The combination with a boot orshoe signature, in presence of two witnesses. having inseam stitches forjoining the upper GEORGE L. PREBLE. and insole, of a counter stifenercom rising Witnesses: a stifening member provided with so fiexi- W. P.ABFLL, ble tabs at the forward portions thereof and P. W, PEZZETTLCopie. o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents web, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washingtm. D. C.

